From left to right and from back to front, project researchers: Arantxa Sarasola, Goretti Echarte, Margarita Aliaga, Dr. Mirentxu Oyarzabal, Adriana Moleres, Cecilia Galbete, Sara Berrade, Amelia Marti, Cristina Azcona, María Chueca, Tara Rendo and Alfredo Martínez. PHOTO: Manuel Castells

The School of Pharmacy of the University of Navarra, the Clínica Universidad de Navarra and the Navarra Hospital Complex have launched a new study on nutrigenomics and childhood obesity that will focus on a group of overweight and obese children and adolescents in the region.

The project has as goal to analyze the effect of two hypocaloric diets -one of them rich in legumes and fish and the other in fruits and vegetables- on the expression of genes linked to inflammation and oxidative stress. For this purpose, the experts will use a sample of Navarrese children and adolescents between 7 and 15 years of age from the department Pediatrics Department of the Clínica Universidad de Navarra and the Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra.. The centers are also looking for volunteers, who can contact Tara Rendo, dietician and nutritionist, at contact , by e-mail: trendo@alumni.unav.es.

According to the principal investigator, Amelia Martí, full professor at School of Pharmacy, "in obese children and adolescents, nutritional intervention is necessary by means of a moderate decrease in the calories they consume through balanced diets that facilitate weight loss and are compatible with growth".

The specialist from department of Food Sciences, Physiology and Toxicology considers that this could be the case of diets enriched with antioxidants, "which, in addition to reducing weight, improve oxidative balance and reduce inflammation. This would make it possible to prevent, in part, other problems associated with obesity, such as arterial hypertension, hyperlipidemia or diabetes subject 2," he stresses.

A 10-week per diem expenses

The hypothesis of the experts is that a per diem expenses leave in calories with an abundance of fish and legumes -which in this case will last 10 weeks- could be associated with the lower expression of genes that are related to an inflammatory response of some blood cells in subjects who have suffered from childhood obesity.

As secondary objectives, the group of experts from the University of Navarra and the Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra intend to study the effect of these diets on the concentration of other molecules that could also be related to inflammatory processes, such as pro-inflammatory cytokines. They will also measure the influence of the antioxidant properties of certain foods on the alteration of the functioning of mitochondria in children with childhood obesity, etc.

The project, known as NUGENOI, is financed by the department de Salud de Gobierno de Navarra.